toniuhgwire's review against another edition
3.0
I think this might be a good book to teach, though I’m not sure how much kids would enjoy it. Definitely a window book for me—it discusses a lot of important issues I don’t face personally. I think I enjoyed the perspective flipping. The principal’s chapter was probably one of the most impactful to me.
razishiri's review against another edition
3.0
My last book of the summer! This was a quick, arresting read, a story told in the voices and vernacular of its characters, with the occasional newspaper clipping thrown in. I have never lived in an urban slum, but the characters and events seemed convincing to me. There were only a few lines that sounded too snappy or poetic to be real--the title line was one of them. It's easy to imagine this novel being performed as a series of monologues. Each character has redeeming qualities, and in the end (I haven't quite finished, but I'm sure) the protagonist is redeemed.
black_girl_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This book, about a 13 year old addicted to heroin, told through his perspective, and the perspectives of his family, teachers, neighbours, etc. Despite being severely dated by the language of the 70’s, this book tells an extremely plausible narrative about how kids get hooked on drugs, about how communities are infiltrated by addiction due to, you guessed it, marginalization, policies, and disenfranchisement, and about how love is not enough. Early Black books for young people about our struggles. What an important thing to have, and I’m glad the tradition continues into modern day. I can’t believe the blurb from the NY Times on the cover calling it “entertaining”, but here we are. If you’re reading books for youth that are about real life and aren’t just festivals of hormones, check this one out, it’s a forerunner to the best of what we are seeing currently.
rjozinga's review against another edition
2.0
I am always a fan of stories told by many different narrators, and this book was no exception. I thought this story really showed how drug abuse affects everyone, not just the addict. Benjie is clearly addicted to heroin, yet he believes he can stop at anytime. His addiction is ruining the lives of his mother, stepfather and grandmother, with whom he lives. We see Benjie complete rehab and then steal from his stepfather in order to feed his addiction. At the end of the book, Benjie appears to hit a turning point and really want to change, but we still see Butler waiting for him at the followup clinic, hoping he will show up. I thought this book was good and fairly easy to read, minus some of the slang used. It was a little dated, but I think it could still be appreciated by kids today. I would recommend it to middle and early high school students.
bobbo49's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful book about a young black man-child growing up in the Harlem ghetto and struggling with life's challenges, told from the perspectives of the boy, his mother, step-father, teachers and others. Beautifully written.
emdoux's review against another edition
3.0
A somewhat documentary-style tale of a Harlem teen who falls into heroin addiction - and the figures in his life attempting to bring him back to reality.
mxsunny's review against another edition
3.0
Very quick story of a young boy who gets addicted to heroin. The chapters alternate between the people in Benjie's life and reads a little like a documentary. The characters speak directly to the reader about their lives and their fears for Benjie.
Benjie talks a lot about his feelings of alienation and the many ways he feels people disappoint him or look down on him. This was written in the 70s by acclaimed playwright Alice Childress and the language will feel dated to many readers. However, I felt that the story still resonates especially the richly described inner lives of each character. The structure allows them to share more of their thoughts and motivations. My final thought is that it feels decidedly like an issue book and probably wouldn't be that appealing to today's teens.
Benjie talks a lot about his feelings of alienation and the many ways he feels people disappoint him or look down on him. This was written in the 70s by acclaimed playwright Alice Childress and the language will feel dated to many readers. However, I felt that the story still resonates especially the richly described inner lives of each character. The structure allows them to share more of their thoughts and motivations. My final thought is that it feels decidedly like an issue book and probably wouldn't be that appealing to today's teens.
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